Dead stop device for doors

ABSTRACT

THE DEAD STOP DEVICE IS DESIGNED FOR A DOOR WHICH ROTATES WITH SPINDLE MEANS AND WHICH IS ADJUSTED TO BE OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A DOOR CONTROL DEVICE SUCH AS A DOOR CLOSING MECHANISM WHICH TENDS TO RETURN THE DOOR TO A PRESELECTED POSITION. CRANK MEANS ROTATABLE WITH THE SPINDLE MEANS HAS AT LEAST ONE ABUTMENT SURFACE AND ALSO CONSTITUTES A PART OF THE DOOR CLOSING MECHANISM. THE ABUTMENT SURFACE IS ADAPTED TO ABUT AGAINST STOP MEANS IN ORDER THAT THE MOVEMENT OF TE DOOR MAY BE STOPPED. THE SPINDLE MEANS AND THE STOP MEANS ARE SUPPORTED SUCH THAT THE STOP MEANS MAY BE SELECTIVELY POSITIONED IN ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS IN ORDER THAT THE DOOR MAY BE STOPPED IN ITS MOVEMENT AT ANY SELECTED ONE OF A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS.

1971 w. A. CZAPAR 3,562,848

DEAD STOP DEVICE FOR DOORS I Filed Sept. 30, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 an m W v Q l a 4; i n v fldazzfor.

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DEAD STOP DEVICE FOR DOORS Filed Sept. 30, 1968 2 Shee Ls-Shee1; 2

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3,562,848 DEAD STOP DEVICE FOR DOORS William A. Czapar, Niles, Ill., assignor Rixson Inc., Franklin Park, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 30, 1968, Ser. No. 775,569 Int. Cl. E051. 3/20 U.S. Cl. 1655 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The dead stop device is designed for a door which rotates with spindle means and which is adjusted to be operatively associated with a door control device such as a door closing mechanism which tends to return the door to a preselected position. Crank means rotatable with the spindle means has at least one abutment surface and also constitutes a part of the door closing mechanism. The abutment surface is adapted to abut against stop means in order that the movement of the door may be stopped. The spindle means and the stop means are supported such that the stop means may be selectively positioned in any one of a plurality of positions in order that the door may be stopped in its movement at any selected one of a plurality of positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to a dead stop device for a door. More particularly it pertains to a dead stop device which is designed to be combined with a door control device. For purposes of illustration the door control device is shown as a spindle-operated door closing mechanism, or closer, but it will be understood that the dead stop device is not limited to being associated with a closer.

Many devices for controlling the opening and closing of doors are of the type having a spindle with which the door is operatively associated such that movement of the door effects rotation of the spindle. Spring mechanism, spring-and-dashpot mechanism, or other suitable mechanism operated by the rotatable spindle tends to return the door to a preselected, usually closed position. Usually, the spindle-operated device is mounted in the floor, with the spindle either engaged with and turned by a lever arm fastened to the pull side of the door or fitted into and turned by a socket mounted in the bottom of the door itself, depending upon the type of hinges or other pivotal supports that are used. Often the spindle-operated device is mounted in cement or concrete or in other seamless flooring, and the door closing mechanism is enclosed by a waterproof case which is embedded in grout or the like in a hole in the floor. Accordingly, overhead elbow devices and other unsightly attachments are eliminated, and, as a result, the door is permitted to have a pleasing uncluttered appearance.

Heretofore many dead stop devices used in aid of spindle-operated door closers have had parts which must be attached to the door itself and parts which must be attached to the door frame, to the floor, or to an adjoining wall. When such dead stop devices are used, the otherwise pleasing uncluttered appearance of the door, door frame and floor is marred.

To eliminate the aforementioned attachments, it is desirable that the dead stop device be incorporated with the spindle-operated door closer for enclosure with the door closing mechanism in the same waterproof case to be embedded in the floor.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved dead stop device for a door.

3,562,848 Patented Feb. 16, 1971 It is a more particular object of this invention to provide an improved dead stop device for a door which has a portion which rotates with the spindle means and which is operatively associated with a door control device such as a door closing mechanism tending to return the door to a preselected position.

It is another more particular object of this invention to provide an improved dead stop device, a part of which is incorporated in the recessed housing of a door-control device of the aforementioned type.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dead stop device with which there is no need to attach any visible parts to the door, or floor, or wall.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a dead stop device which may :be selectively adjusted to stop the door in its movement at any one of a plurality of positions.

-It is a further important object of the invention to provide a concealed dead stop device which may be adjusted to provide a plurality of different stop positions without the necessity of dismounting the door.

A dead stop device embodying the principles of this invention generally comprises a member operatively associated with the door and movable therewith when the door is swung toward an open position, stop means for blocking movement of the member and thereby of the door, and a fixed support for the stop means. The support has a pair of spaced walls between which the stop means extends in the path of movement of the member.

In its preferred form, the dead stop device is incorporated with and built into a door control device such as a spindle-operated door closer in such a way that the stop means may be selectively positioned in any one of a plurality of positions to stop the door in its movement at any one of said plurality of positions. Some of the basic elements of the door closer also form a basic part of the dead stop device, thereby reducing the total number of parts which are needed. The dead stop device is enclosed with the door closing mechanism in the same waterproof case to be embedded in the floor and therefore is not visible. Nevertheless it may be adjusted without dismounting the door or having to remove the door control device from its case.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention may be understood best from the following description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which the dead stop device is shown in cooperation with a door closing mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, with some portions in section for clarity, of a dead stop device incorporated with a spindletype door closer in accordance with the principles of this invention with the cover of the door closer and certain upper portions of the dead stop device omited to expose the internal mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view, taken substantially along section line 22 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the cover of the dead stop device and door closer;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along section line 4-4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, partially in section, related to FIG. 1, showing certain parts of the mechanism in changed positions; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view of the stop means of the dead stop device.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Introduction FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a dead stop device 10, which constitutes the presently preferred embodiment of this invention. The dead stop device is combined with a door control device such as a spindle-type door closing mechanism, indicated generally by the reference numeral 12, for enclosure in the same waterproof outer case 14. Although the construction of door closer 12 is described in some detail herein in order that the invention may be understood in a proper setting, the closer is shown solely by way of example.

In addition to the outer case 14, the door closer 12 comprises a removable cover plate 16 from which the mechanism of the door closer 12 is carried. The outer case 14 has a plurality of anchor-supporting flange portions 18. Anchors 20, which are designed to anchor the door closer 12 in cement or concrete in other seamless flooring, are associated with flange portions 18. The cover plate 16 is removably fastened to the anchors 20, and thereby to the outer case 14, by a plurality of countersunk screws 24. Support for the cover plate 16 is provided by the flange portions 18 and by an inner shoulder 28 around the perimeter of the outer case 14. An upstanding rim 30 is provided at the perimeter of the outer case 14 entirely around the edge of the cover plate 16. A thin decorative plate 32, which may be made of brass or the like, is removably fastened to the cover plate 16, over both the cover plate 16 and the upper edge of the lip 30, by means of a plurality of countersunk screws 34. Plate 32 has a recess 35 in its margin fitting around the upper bearing means 48 for the spindle 44.

A bracket 36, which has a flat bottom portion 38 and two upstanding end portions respectively 40 and 41, is riveted or otherwise suitably fastened to the underside of the cover plate 16 by mounting flanges 42 and 43 extending from the respective end portions 40 and 41. In addition to being associated with the door closer 12, the bracket 36 forms part of the dead stop device 10.

A rotatable vertical spindle 44, which passes through suitable openings (not shown) in the cover plate 16 and in the superposed plate 32, is journalled in lower bearing means 46, which is carried on the bracket 36, and in upper bearing means 48, which is carried on the cover plate 16. The upper bearing means 48 extends through an opening in the plate 32 and is sealed at its upper end against penetration of moisture and dust. The spindle 44 has a crank means 86 which turns with the spindle and the crank means is associated with operating linkage, described below, for actuating the door closing mechanism. The exposed upper portion 51 of the spindle 44 is hexagonal in section and thereby is adapted to be either engaged with and turned by a lever arm (not shown) which is fastened to the pull side of a door (not shown) or fitted into and turned by a socket (not shown) which is located at the bottom of the door itself, depending upon the type of hinges or other pivotal supports to be used with the door. Suitable connections of the spindle 44 to the door are well known in the art and are not a part of this invention.

Door control device The door control device in the form of a door closing mechanism 12 includes an elongated coiled compression spring 52 and a dampening device or dashpot 72 both of which are operatively associated with the spindle 44 by a linkage which is indicated generally by the reference numeral 50. Spring 52 bears by its first end 54 against the end portion 40 of the bracket 36 and is guided by a tube 56, which is suitably mounted to the underside of the cover plate 16. The second end 58 of the spring 52 bears against an annular disk 60, which freely fits within the tube 56 and has an internally threaded hub 62. An elongated rod 64 passes through the spring 52 and is 4 threaded to the hub 62 by the rods threaded end 70. The rod has its other end 66 extending through an enlarged aperture 68 in end portion 40 of the bracket 36 and into the confines of the bracket 36 for connection with linkage 50. The spring 52 may be selectively preloaded by suitable adjustment of the axial position of the hub 62 along the threaded end 70 of the rod 64.

The damping mechanism or dashpot 72, which preferably is of the hydraulic type, is supported from the underside of the cover plate 16 adjacent to the tube 56 by its housing 74 which is suitably mounted in place. Details of the construction of a suitable hydraulic damping mechanism are not needed for an understanding of this invention. It is sufiicient for purposes of the present disclosure to understand that the hydraulic damping mechanism 72 controls the movement of an elongated rod 76, which is connected to a piston (not shown) by one end and is connected by its other end 82 with the linkage 50. When the rod 76 is substantially fully drawn out of the damping mechanism 72, the end 82 of the rod 76 extends through a bearing structure 84 in the end portion 40 of the bracket 36.

It should be understood that the foregoing combination of the compression spring 52 and the hydraulic damping mechanism 72 is described solely by way of example and that other mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of doors may be used.

Linkage 50 connects with crank means 86 which comprises horizontal upper and lower crank member 90, which are suitably connected to the spindle 44 to turn therewith. In addition to forming part of the door closer 12, the crank means 86 also forms part of the dead stop device 10, which will be described next.

Dead stop device The dead stop device 10 comprises stop means 150 for blocking movement of the pair of crank members 90 of the crank means 86 and thereby blocking opening movement of the door. The stop means is shown alone in FIG. 6. It comprises an elongated cylindrical stop pin 152 with a slotted end 154 and a threaded lower end 156. The slotted upper end 154 fits the blade of a conventional screw driver. A conventional resilient O-ring sealing gasket 158 is seated in a groove (not shown) near the upper end 154 of the pin.

The stop means 150 may be mounted selectively in any of three positions, with the bracket 36 providing a fixed support for the stop means 150 in each position. The mounting flange 43 and the opposed bottom portion 38 of the bracket 36 provide respective spaced walls, between which the stop means 150 in each position extends in the path of movement of the crank members 90 of the crank means 86. When the stop means 150 is mounted in its first position, which corresponds generally to 85 opening of the door, the upper end 154 of the stop pin 152 is disposed in a counterbored aperture 160 in the cover plate 16 and extends, with clearance, through an aperture 162 in the mounting flange 43 of the bracket 36. The lower end 156 of the pin is threaded into a threaded aperture 164 in the bottom portion 38 of the flange 36, which aperture is axially aligned with aperture 160 above it. The aperture 160 is sealed by the O-ring sealing gasket 158 of the pin.

When the stop means 150 is mounted in its second position, which corresponds generally to 90 opening of the door, the upper end 154 of the stop pin 152 is disposed in a counterbored aperture 166 in the cover plate 16 and extends, with clearance, through an aperture 168 in the mounting flange 43 of the bracket 36. The lower end 156 of the pin is threaded into a vertically aligned aperture 170 in the bottom portion 38 of the flange 36, which aperture is axially aligned with aperture 166 above it. The aperature 166 is sealed by the O-ring sealing gasket 158.

When the stop means 150 is mounted in its third position, which corresponds generally to 110 opening of the door, the upper end 154 of the stop pin 152 is disposed in a counterbored aperture 172 in the cover plate 16 and extends, with clearance, through an aperture 174 in the mounting flange 43 of the bracket 36. The lower end 156 of pin 152 is threaded into a threaded aperture 176 in the bottom portion 38 of the flange 36, which aperture is axially aligned with aperture 172 above it. The aperture 172 is sealed by the O-ring sealing gasket 158. FIGS. 1 through 4 show the stop means 150 mounted in its third (110) position, and FIG. 5 shows the stop means 150 mounted in its first (85) position, as described. From FIGS. 1 and 5, with the aid of FIG. 3, it may be understood that the stop means 150 is at the same radial distance from the spindle 44 in its second (90) and third 110) positions, but that it is at a shorter radial distance from the spindle 44 in its first (85) position. While this is not an essential arrangement, it is preferred for a reason which will be pointed out below.

It is evident that the slotted upper end 154 of the stop pin 152 may be reached through the associated apertures in the cover plate 16 for threading and unthreading the threaded lower end 156 thereof from the aligned aperture in the bottom portion 38 of the bracket 36. It is only necessary to remove the screws 34 (FIG. 3) by which the decorative plate 32 is secured to the cover plate 16 and then to slide the plate sideways away from the spindle bearing 48 to gain access to the pin 15.2. Unlike prior devices it is not necessary to dismount the door or to extract the door closer from its case. When the stop means 150 has been mounted in selected aligned apertures the openings in the cover plate 16, which exist because of the other two unused pairs of aligned apertures for the pin 152, are closed against water and dust by closure means comprising a pair of similar removable resilient plugs 178 and 180 which are pressed into the unused apertures in the cover plate 16. See FIG. 4. The plugs 178 and 180 are enlarged at either end to insure tight sealing. The counterboring of the apertures in the cover plate 16 permits the plugs 178 and 180 to be used without interfering with the aforementioned decorative plate 32.

The crank members 90 of the crank means 86 have respective vertically aligned first abutment surfaces 184 and respective vertically aligned second abutment surfaces 188. From FIGS. 1 and 5, it will be seen that the first and second abutment surfaces 184 and 188 on the respective crank members 90 lie along different radii from the axis of spindle 44 on the crank members 90 and also at different radial distances from said axis. The first abutment surfaces 184, which are radially inward of the respective second abutment surfaces 188, lie at the correct radial distance from the spindle 44 to engage the stop means 150, when the stop means 150 is in its first (85) position, upon 85 opening of the door with conjoint rotation of the spindle 44 and the crank members 90. See FIG. 5. The second abutment surfaces 188, which are radially outward of the respective first abutment surfaces 184, lie at the correct radial distance from the spindle 44 to engage the stop means 150 either, when the stop means 150 is in its second (90") position, upon 90 opening of the door with conjoint rotation of the spindle 44 and the crank members 90, or when the stop means 150 is in its third (110) position, upon 110 opening of the door with conjoint rotation of the spindle 44 and the crank members 90. Again see FIG. 5.

Provision of the opening for the various positions of the stop means 150 on different radii and at different radial distances from the spindle 44 permits compact arrangement of the various elements of the dead stop device near one corner of the door closers housing 14 without interference with adjacent elements of the door closer. Thus, in the present embodiment, when the stop means 150 is in its first (85) position, it is fully clear of the bell crank lever 94 of the operating linkage 50. Also the arrangement shown permits first and second stop positions (85 and 90 openings, respectively) to be provided without having the respective aligned apertures for those positions interfering with each other. That is, if all aligned pairs of apertures were to be located at the same radial distance from the axis of the spindle, the radial distance would have to be greater than that shown for the second and third positions of pin 152, or the pin would have to have a smaller diameter, so that the aligned pairs of apertures for the first and second positions could be spaced from each other. In that event the casing 14 and bracket 36 would need to be elongated.

While the crank means 86 in the illustrated preferred form of the structure comprises two crank members 90, it will be understood that crank means comprising a single crank member may be used instead.

In the embodiment herein described and illustrated the stop pin 150 is of relatively small diameter whereby the sockets into which the pin is selectively mounted may be disposed relatively closely to each other and thereby the advantage of compactness is gained.

The pin, though of relatively small diameter, is capable of sustaining the pressure put upon it by the stop arm 90 because it is supported by and below the area of its engagement by the said stop arm and is stressed substantially like a beam supported at both ends or where the supporting surfaces are relatively close together in double shear.

Thereby the position of the stop inside the casing is easy to adjust from the outside and yet the structure is surprisingly simple, compact, and powerful.

I claim:

1. A dead stop device for a door which is pivotally supported on and rotates with spindle means and which is operatively associated with door closing mechanism tending to return the door to a preselected position, said dead stop device comprising crank means rotatable with the spindle means, said crank means having at least one abutment surface and also constituting a part of the door closing mechanism, stop means against which said surface abuts whereby the movement of the door is stopped, structure for supporting the spindle means, said structure also providing means for supporting the stop means selectively in a plurality of positions whereby the door may be selectively stopped in its movement at one of a plurality of positions.

2. The dead stop device of claim 1 wherein the door closing mechanism and dead stop device are disposed in a common housing and wherein the stop means is adapted to be supported selectively at a plurality of stop positions, which positions are located adjacent a corner of the housmg.

3. The dead stop device of claim 1 wherein the crank means has at least two abutment surfaces and they are disposed at different distances radially from the axis of the spindle.

4. The dead stop device of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting the stop means selectively in a plurality of positions comprises a pair of spaced walls disposed to one side of the spindle with apertures in each of said walls al gned in pairs on axes generally parallel to that of the spindle, and wherein the stop means has portions disposed in an aligned pair of apertures and extends therebetween.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein two pairs of aligned apertures are disposed at different distances radially from the axis of the spindle and wherein the crank means has two abutment surfaces and they are disposed at different distances radially from the axis of the spindle, with the radial distances of said abutment surfaces corresponding to the radial distances of said pairs of aligned apertures.

6. The dead stop device of claim 4 together with a cover plate through which the spindle extends and which is connected to said supporting structure, said plate having a plurality of spaced apertures in overlying position with the pairs of aligned apertures for the stop means.

7. The dead stop device of claim 6 wherein one aperture of each aligned pair is threaded, and wherein the stop means comprises a pin which is threaded by one end into said threaded aperture of the pair, the opposite end having means reachable through the aligned aperture of the plate by which said pin may be unthreaded from the supporting structure.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 together with closure means for closing those apertures of the plate in which the stop means is not disposed, and wherein said opposite end of the pin extends into an aperture of the plate below its exposed surface and has a gasket which seals the aperture in the cover plate.

9. In a door control device having a casing, a cover plate for the casing, a bracket attached to and depending from the cover plate and providing a bottom portion below and substantially parallel to the cover plate, a spindle extending through and having a bearing in said cover plate, said spindle having a bearing at its lower end supported by said bracket, a stop arm mounted on said spindle, spring means in said casing connected to the spindle for returning the spindle to a predetermined and adjustable stop means cooperating with said stop arm to limit the extent of angular motion of the spindle in an outward direction, said adjustable stop means comprising a stop pin, there being a plurality of sockets formed partly in the cover plate and partly in the bracket for mounting thepstop pin, each of said sockets being adapted to receive and support the stop pin with its axis substantially parallel to the axis of the spindle, and Within the radius of movement of the stop arm for engagement therewith, said pin being inset-table selectively into each socket and removable therefrom from the top of the cover plate and said pin when it is disposed in a selected socket being supported by the cover plate and bracket above and below the area of engagement of the stop arm with the pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,660,750 12/1953 Wallen 1649 2,752,627 7/1956 Carlson 16-55 2,971,212 2/1961 Vijster et a1. 1655 DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (5 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION February 16, 1971 Patent No. 3 562 a 848 V Dated Inventor(s) m j 1 I. A CZ; 1a:

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 7, line 20, after "predetermined" insert position Signed and sealed this 1st day of June 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER,

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. Attesting Officer Commissioner of Paton 

